Thanks to some commanding performances, India have firmly entrenched themselves as favourites to win the Champions Trophy. While the seam bowling has been a pleasant surprise, it's India's powerful batting line-up that has made them the envy of every other nation. That India could regenerate so quickly and successfully a batting line-up that was in danger of being decimated by the regular loss of top-class players, is a tribute to their production line.

Where India are currently embarrassed with run-scoring riches, other strong teams, particularly Australia, and possibly South Africa down the track, are in danger of being reduced to the classification of batting poor. India's remarkable regeneration act has also succeeded in invalidating Australian excuses for their current batting woes. Those arguments range from the sudden departure of senior players to being the result of playing too much T20 cricket.

The latter reason is exposed as dubious because India is the home of the IPL, the richest and most concentrated T20 competition in the cricket world. But therein lies a potential conflict if India do experience the elation of winning the Champions Trophy. Will the tide of euphoria in the country sweep aside the IPL corruption scandal or will it mean the rampant fixing problems are attacked with renewed vigour?

Before coming to a conclusion, it's instructive to examine the incongruities currently in play regarding discipline in cricket. There has been a spate of strong punishment meted out to players who have transgressed either on or off the field. These include New Zealand's Jesse Ryder and Australia's David Warner being suspended for drink-related incidents, and West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin for poor sportsmanship on the field.

I have no problem with strong punishment being administered to players who exhibit questionable judgement; on the contrary, it's crucial if these problems are to be reduced. However, I do take issue with the inequities in the approach to disciplining offending players and administrators. If the administrators - who generally hand out the punishment - were subjected to the same standards as players when it comes to poor judgement and misbehaviour, then maybe some of the off-field incompetence could be eradicated. In addition to multiple misjudgements, many administrators seem to totally disregard conflict of interest as a concept. And through the IPL scandal, it's also obvious that corruption is an issue among officials.

While the IPL was a visionary concept, its original implementation was flawed. The blueprint for the league could easily have been lifted from a bestselling novel with a central theme of corruption. It was a script combining immense sums of money, the glitz of Bollywood, after-match parties involving players, and on-field performances that were diminished by upgrading the importance of off-field activities. This subjected T20 cricket to the danger of becoming entertainment in the realm of professional wrestling rather than sport.

The fact that no one challenged this concept is symptomatic of the myopic vision in cricket administration worldwide. Their failure to apply a zero-tolerance and draconian punishment regime when fixing first raised its ugly head was a major case of misjudgement. And allowing India to rule with dictatorial zeal while the rest just stood by makes the other countries accomplices in the chaos.

Both players and officials need to reacquaint themselves with the notion of the game's integrity. It's unreasonable to expect players to behave impeccably while they are being exposed to some officials acting corruptly at worst and with a lack of common sense at best. If the administrators' sole priority appears to be "a strong bottom line", it's a bit rich to then accuse cricketers of being "self-centred".

History suggests the investigation into the IPL corruption scandal is most likely to be swept away on a tidal wave of euphoria if India win the Champions Trophy. By reversing that trend the officials will be displaying the courage and foresight the game has been so lacking. It will also be a much-needed boost for the integrity of cricket.

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell is now a cricket commentator for Channel 9, and a columnist

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Who will guard the guards?) The problem with cricket is that it's administered by (at least on paper) non-profits. There are no shareholders or board of directors to report back to. No public audits of activities, and no accountability to anyone other than themselves. This is not to suggest that safeguards like shareholders/board of directors are fool-proof: a mere glance through the history of corporate malfeasance would put that notion to rest. However, public listed companies are under the ambit of regulatory bodies (such as SEC in the US), and at least on paper, must have their affairs scrutinized by them, and must release their books regularly to the public. This would at least reduce the secrecy and the "old-boy's club" stuff that goes on in these bodies. Of course, who will bell the cat? And, more broadly, who will regulate the regulators? The latter question is a political debate on small government that is beyond the scope of this discussion :)

POSTED BY
manohard
on | June 16, 2013, 3:41 GMT

I agree with Mr. Chappell here. Any system needs what's called checks and balances and I don't see that any of the cricket boards across the world. Not to take sides but I think we need boards where are headed by cricketers rather than politicians. I agree we need somebody with management capabilities to manage functional side of the board which is hard to find in sports men.

POSTED BY
jay57870
on | June 18, 2013, 16:50 GMT

Ian - Who disciplines administrators? When it becomes a hot public issue, it likely falls into the long arms of the law & government! Check out the Australian Crime Commission's recent report into widespread drug use and links to organised crime & possible betting corruption in sports in Australia. Chappell should know. At Channel 9, there was a public backlash when bookie Tom Waterhouse appeared alongside commentators in live coverage of NRL matches. Facing the blurred line issue between bookie & commentator, the federal government decided to limit betting ads in sports - even though betting is legal. So in India where it's illegal, the IPL fixing scam has evoked strong public reaction. The cleansing process is under way - with investigations & actions by a host of concerned parties: law enforcement/police, courts, law & sports ministries, apart from ACSU & BCCI commission. Like in Australia, external agencies had to intervene. Champions Trophy cannot deter the justice system, Ian!

POSTED BY
Nampally
on | June 18, 2013, 15:24 GMT

Ian, Cricket used to be a recreational sport during the 20th century but evolved into a full fledged profession in 21st century. As in many other professions like Medicine, Engineering, Law, Cricket has to be administered in a professional manner too. So the real answer to your question becomes evident when you review "Cricket the sport" in this light. Cricket, as a profession, has to be broadly run & controlled by 2 Linked Bodies: 1. An organizing & administering Board such as BCCI or CA- which also takes care of players such as selection, coaching, Finances, health issues, pensions, etc 2. Governing & Regulatory Body which lays down the rules + code of conduct/ethics +Monitors BCCI or CA on all aspects. Major Professions are run this way in every country to control/discipline its practice. ICC should be helping the Regulatory body by forming new Rules or modifying them.This way BCCI or CA administers Cricket while being monitored to meet regulatory Rules. - No conflict of interest!

POSTED BY
__PK
on | June 17, 2013, 21:58 GMT

I look forward to seeing Warnie getting a spell from the commentary box, when we answer the next logical question - "Who disciplines the media?"

POSTED BY
on | June 17, 2013, 14:19 GMT

ChappelI has hit the nail on its head. I am as excited as all other Indians on our performance at the Champions League. And our administrators at BCCI, Srini, Dalmiya, Jaitely, Shukla et al must be rubbing their hands in glee as the focus has partially shifted from their major misdeeds. And the ex cricketers, Gavaskar, Kapildev, Shastri Kumble etc haven't endeared themselves to us with their deafening silence. That hurts the most especially Kumble, as I thought he was different and I am willing to change my view if any of you think differently. India could be at the top for some time if he had a clean management who was accountable to someone

POSTED BY
Nampally
on | June 17, 2013, 13:36 GMT

Ian, Indeed you have asked a very pertinent question as to who disciplines the Administrators? The same question is in the minds of all Cricket Fans. In the recent Australian team tour of India, there were 4 players disciplined by their team Manager & sent home- incl. their star, Watson. I thought the punishment was too severe & was not in the best interests of the Team. But the CA supported it instead of reviewing the basis. In this case there was a higher body above the Team Manager. But when CA itself is in the wrong who is above CA? Ministry of sport or a Judicial council?. I personally feel that there should be a sports council comprising of legal + Financial +cricket expert overseeing Boards such as CA or BCCI. Such policing of the Cricket Boards is critical. Otherwise it will create a Dictatorial President of the Board answerable to NONE for his cricket Blunders. The sports council should continuously monitor the CA or BCCI in executing their pre-assigned duties - A MUST!

POSTED BY
sg1krishnan
on | June 17, 2013, 12:48 GMT

I have always been a big fan of Ian Chappell and he was spot on when he mentioned sometime back that India was the only team in the recently concluded Under-19 World Cup which had a real batting side.It is already showing in the CT being held in England now.India have a lot of batsmen waiting in the queue to get their chance and the selectors are rightly thinking about the 2015 WC.The fielding looks fantastic with the likes of Kohli,Jadeja,Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina.The bowling still remains a concern and if they can find a few more Bhuvneshwar Kumars and Umesh Yadav it will augur well for the team and INDIA will be the team to beat come 2015WC.I hope Cricket Australia are also listening to Ian Chappell and find out ways to get a good spinner and a few more Michael Clarkes in the batting line-up.It will be interesting to see how India fare on their next tour to SA and also does IC think whether Australia can even win one test match in their next Ashes campaign come July.

POSTED BY
KC1980
on | June 17, 2013, 12:19 GMT

The Indian cricketing greats who have recently retired (Dada, Dravid, VVS, Kumble, Shreenath...SRT sometime soon) can play a very big part in management of cricket in India - all have a pretty clean image and the skills / attitute to run the indian cricket. Lots of clean up required ( within management / commercial interests) to keep the game alive.

POSTED BY
PrasPunter
on | June 17, 2013, 9:32 GMT

@Jayzuz , spot-on. ODIs will all its field-restrictions, smaller boundaries
and not to forget , the flat, lifeless tracks ( especially when india plays )
doesn't really tell the true story . They lost test series against a quality
team ( Eng ) both home and abroad and were thrashed 0-4 by a not-so-great
Australian side as well. So not much to speak of their "production line".

POSTED BY
McGorium
on | June 17, 2013, 17:45 GMT

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Who will guard the guards?) The problem with cricket is that it's administered by (at least on paper) non-profits. There are no shareholders or board of directors to report back to. No public audits of activities, and no accountability to anyone other than themselves. This is not to suggest that safeguards like shareholders/board of directors are fool-proof: a mere glance through the history of corporate malfeasance would put that notion to rest. However, public listed companies are under the ambit of regulatory bodies (such as SEC in the US), and at least on paper, must have their affairs scrutinized by them, and must release their books regularly to the public. This would at least reduce the secrecy and the "old-boy's club" stuff that goes on in these bodies. Of course, who will bell the cat? And, more broadly, who will regulate the regulators? The latter question is a political debate on small government that is beyond the scope of this discussion :)

POSTED BY
manohard
on | June 16, 2013, 3:41 GMT

I agree with Mr. Chappell here. Any system needs what's called checks and balances and I don't see that any of the cricket boards across the world. Not to take sides but I think we need boards where are headed by cricketers rather than politicians. I agree we need somebody with management capabilities to manage functional side of the board which is hard to find in sports men.

POSTED BY
jay57870
on | June 18, 2013, 16:50 GMT

Ian - Who disciplines administrators? When it becomes a hot public issue, it likely falls into the long arms of the law & government! Check out the Australian Crime Commission's recent report into widespread drug use and links to organised crime & possible betting corruption in sports in Australia. Chappell should know. At Channel 9, there was a public backlash when bookie Tom Waterhouse appeared alongside commentators in live coverage of NRL matches. Facing the blurred line issue between bookie & commentator, the federal government decided to limit betting ads in sports - even though betting is legal. So in India where it's illegal, the IPL fixing scam has evoked strong public reaction. The cleansing process is under way - with investigations & actions by a host of concerned parties: law enforcement/police, courts, law & sports ministries, apart from ACSU & BCCI commission. Like in Australia, external agencies had to intervene. Champions Trophy cannot deter the justice system, Ian!

POSTED BY
Nampally
on | June 18, 2013, 15:24 GMT

Ian, Cricket used to be a recreational sport during the 20th century but evolved into a full fledged profession in 21st century. As in many other professions like Medicine, Engineering, Law, Cricket has to be administered in a professional manner too. So the real answer to your question becomes evident when you review "Cricket the sport" in this light. Cricket, as a profession, has to be broadly run & controlled by 2 Linked Bodies: 1. An organizing & administering Board such as BCCI or CA- which also takes care of players such as selection, coaching, Finances, health issues, pensions, etc 2. Governing & Regulatory Body which lays down the rules + code of conduct/ethics +Monitors BCCI or CA on all aspects. Major Professions are run this way in every country to control/discipline its practice. ICC should be helping the Regulatory body by forming new Rules or modifying them.This way BCCI or CA administers Cricket while being monitored to meet regulatory Rules. - No conflict of interest!

POSTED BY
__PK
on | June 17, 2013, 21:58 GMT

I look forward to seeing Warnie getting a spell from the commentary box, when we answer the next logical question - "Who disciplines the media?"

POSTED BY
on | June 17, 2013, 14:19 GMT

ChappelI has hit the nail on its head. I am as excited as all other Indians on our performance at the Champions League. And our administrators at BCCI, Srini, Dalmiya, Jaitely, Shukla et al must be rubbing their hands in glee as the focus has partially shifted from their major misdeeds. And the ex cricketers, Gavaskar, Kapildev, Shastri Kumble etc haven't endeared themselves to us with their deafening silence. That hurts the most especially Kumble, as I thought he was different and I am willing to change my view if any of you think differently. India could be at the top for some time if he had a clean management who was accountable to someone

POSTED BY
Nampally
on | June 17, 2013, 13:36 GMT

Ian, Indeed you have asked a very pertinent question as to who disciplines the Administrators? The same question is in the minds of all Cricket Fans. In the recent Australian team tour of India, there were 4 players disciplined by their team Manager & sent home- incl. their star, Watson. I thought the punishment was too severe & was not in the best interests of the Team. But the CA supported it instead of reviewing the basis. In this case there was a higher body above the Team Manager. But when CA itself is in the wrong who is above CA? Ministry of sport or a Judicial council?. I personally feel that there should be a sports council comprising of legal + Financial +cricket expert overseeing Boards such as CA or BCCI. Such policing of the Cricket Boards is critical. Otherwise it will create a Dictatorial President of the Board answerable to NONE for his cricket Blunders. The sports council should continuously monitor the CA or BCCI in executing their pre-assigned duties - A MUST!

POSTED BY
sg1krishnan
on | June 17, 2013, 12:48 GMT

I have always been a big fan of Ian Chappell and he was spot on when he mentioned sometime back that India was the only team in the recently concluded Under-19 World Cup which had a real batting side.It is already showing in the CT being held in England now.India have a lot of batsmen waiting in the queue to get their chance and the selectors are rightly thinking about the 2015 WC.The fielding looks fantastic with the likes of Kohli,Jadeja,Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina.The bowling still remains a concern and if they can find a few more Bhuvneshwar Kumars and Umesh Yadav it will augur well for the team and INDIA will be the team to beat come 2015WC.I hope Cricket Australia are also listening to Ian Chappell and find out ways to get a good spinner and a few more Michael Clarkes in the batting line-up.It will be interesting to see how India fare on their next tour to SA and also does IC think whether Australia can even win one test match in their next Ashes campaign come July.

POSTED BY
KC1980
on | June 17, 2013, 12:19 GMT

The Indian cricketing greats who have recently retired (Dada, Dravid, VVS, Kumble, Shreenath...SRT sometime soon) can play a very big part in management of cricket in India - all have a pretty clean image and the skills / attitute to run the indian cricket. Lots of clean up required ( within management / commercial interests) to keep the game alive.

POSTED BY
PrasPunter
on | June 17, 2013, 9:32 GMT

@Jayzuz , spot-on. ODIs will all its field-restrictions, smaller boundaries
and not to forget , the flat, lifeless tracks ( especially when india plays )
doesn't really tell the true story . They lost test series against a quality
team ( Eng ) both home and abroad and were thrashed 0-4 by a not-so-great
Australian side as well. So not much to speak of their "production line".

POSTED BY
PrasPunter
on | June 17, 2013, 9:22 GMT

@Baundele , exactly - thats pretty much my thought as well - after a win,
if that happens, everything will be fine with the IPL all of a sudden.

POSTED BY
anshu.s
on | June 17, 2013, 8:43 GMT

@Jayzuz, i see you are always ready to undermine achievement of Indian cricketers, you are ready with an excuse to discredit India, match India played against South Africa in Cardiff the ball kept bouncing till 15 overs, Morne Morkel was bowling at full tilt and most of his short of length deliveries were being collected head high by De Villers, 2nd match Indians played against WI at Oval Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav even till 40 th over were getting deliveries to bounce, yes i agree there is no swing in the air and very little seam movement but with exception of Edgbaston other two pitches by English standards have been quite quick !!! tell me in last 5 years in white ball cricket all over the world how many pitches/matches have been seam friendly ?? if India can bat well on this flat pitches what stops other teams from scoring runs freely ?? I am sure even if Indians beat SA at home in upcoming test series you will still find another excuse to discredit them.

POSTED BY
tntn
on | June 17, 2013, 7:35 GMT

a. The pipeline of fresh talent was enriched actually by the extended stay that the seniors put in. Had they left on or ahead of time based on cues, our line up also could have suffered a similar fate as the australians.

b. We are not a culture of hard punishment and too much of an ' thats fine; such things happen' attitude. So, getting a full fledged clean up in not practical. But any headway will be good.

POSTED BY
Nampally
on | June 16, 2013, 23:37 GMT

India's meteoric rise in batting talent is now coming to the fore because the older guys like Dravid, Laxman & Tendulkar have moved on. Also Sehwag & Gambhir have been dropped. This brings in so many talented batsmen waiting for their chance. In the ODI team, there has to be good openers + strong middle order followed by strong finishers. Indian batting currently has all these attributes. Also IPL has become a professional attraction for the Indian youth. Youngsters are training to what ever Indian needs are. Fast bowlers have arisen in dozens & at an alarming rate. They need to work on their accuracy, length & direction to rise higher. There is so much talent available that the future Indian teams will become a raging battle between several talented Batsmen & Bowlers. The Administrators task is to harness this talent + educate them in the cricket etiquette. This will eliminate the currently observed IPL spot fixing incidents. BCCI has a tough job ahead of them in educating the youth.

POSTED BY
roygbiv
on | June 16, 2013, 22:21 GMT

I totally agree with Ian's points. What he underplays is the power of these administrators in India by going after all cricket administrators. In effect he's equating a N Srinivasan (Managing Director of India Cements), a Rajeev Shukla (Minister of State for Parlimentary Affairs and Planning) and an Arun Jaitely (Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha) with James Sutherland whose former life before becoming the head of Cricket Australia consisted of being a first class cricketer and finance manager at an afl club. I would love to see Ian Chappell take on these administrators that "seem to totally disregard conflict of interest as a concept" but realistically he'd get flattened.

POSTED BY
milepost
on | June 16, 2013, 20:57 GMT

Spot on Ian. I used to think Ian Chappell was overly negative and a bit off the mark. How wrong I was. After following his commentary about the sport for years now I'm confident he gets it right nearly every time. If only cricket Australia was run by the likes of Taylor, May, Waugh, Warne and Chappell we'd probably have a no-nonsense, decent cricket team. I agree entirely with his views of those countries that bow at the BCCI altar, they are as much to blame for shoddy administration. It's too early to write off the ICC but there's too much pointless cricket being played. I'd love to see the associates getting more quality games rather then these silly, long winded ODI and T20 series. Corruption is a problem that is going to stay in the near future at least.

POSTED BY
alarky
on | June 16, 2013, 13:49 GMT

Ian, aren't you too quick to say that India has "quickly" replenished its depleted stock of good batsmen. There is every good reason why they should be favourites to win this particular Champions Trophy (the best international limited overs tournament being organised by ICC). Their stake at the trophy is mainly based on the fact that every team member was playing the lengthy IPL which has just concluded. In fact, India is the only team in the tournament where every member was just competing against the best limited overs cricketers in the world - no other team has that luxury - hence they are the best placed to win! I'm not ready to concede that their batting has 'quickly' regenerated, because, the trend has always been that India's batting is powerful, but only at home. Hence, while it is true that now in England, they're showing that this team can do it away as well, let's wait and see what happens when they tour South Africa, when their real mettle of batsmanship would be exposed!

POSTED BY
venkatesh018
on | June 16, 2013, 12:07 GMT

If so, it is better if we fail to win the Champions Trophy !

POSTED BY
mar2000
on | June 16, 2013, 12:04 GMT

We the cricket lovers have been saying so for eons now . Every player get fined but the umpires go away scotch free which is utter madness . With the influx of match fixing , the ICC must put new laws in place and fines that fit .

POSTED BY
Kirk-at-Lords
on | June 16, 2013, 11:16 GMT

Ian Chappell has come rather belatedly to the IPL corruption party, and his comments seem curiously detached and distant for one who is usually so intense about honest, effective cricket administration. That said, the points Chappelly makes are basically spot-on. The missing link in the whole process is placing the scanner squarely on the administrators. The third position of the "44 Fans" in India who wrote the letter to BCCI asking for transparency in the corruption investigation made the same point, with equal validity. The really fair and effective thing to do is to pay much closer attention to the administrators. Yet even this may fall short of the mark, if it remains solely a "crime-and-punishment" model. The real solution, as Chappell well knows from having made the case himself repeatedly over the years, is for a full-on reform of cricket governance that gives the Great Game the functional structure it deserves and needs to survive and thrive.

POSTED BY
Jayzuz
on | June 16, 2013, 9:52 GMT

Um, didn't India just lose a test series at home recently? It's a bit much to be talking about batting riches after one test series and three ODIs. Especially considering they have lost the last 8 tests abroad in succession. They have been pretty lucky that these CT wickets have been lifeless, grassless wonders. Their new players haven't been tested yet, while we already know what to expect with the older ones. I see no reason to believe that the new players will be any better in foreign conditions than the older guys. Most of them are yet to see a bouncy track with grass on it. Ever.

POSTED BY
Lawro
on | June 16, 2013, 7:19 GMT

Mr Chappell, I agree wholeheartedly.

If the ICC and its international member boards were governments, they would essentially be dictatorial theocracies, bowing down to the gods of money and self-interest.

There's been a marked shift in cricket interests in the last decade heading vastly away from cricket and firmly towards money. We've seen it in rugby and football, but the games were never changed so much as to become unrecognisable (rugby sevens never really took off) - whereas T20 looks poised to disrupt a couple of centuries' worth of cricket.

That comes down to the unelected board officials and cricket bodies. Who holds them accountable? If a dictatorial government does something wrong, who investigates?

The answer: their own internal teams, implying the height of corruption. So how to police global cricket? Independent investigations. In other words, the police.

POSTED BY
Baundele
on | June 16, 2013, 5:57 GMT

India's success in CT so far has been the result of the pressure on the BCCI because of the fixing scandal. India must win to avoid a public rage.

POSTED BY
on | June 16, 2013, 5:00 GMT

I agree completely with Ian Chappel, as always. Things are forgotten very fast and the administrators will hide behind the performance of the players. They need to be punished heavily.

POSTED BY
cricmohit
on | June 16, 2013, 4:34 GMT

I agree with the fact that BCCI will do away with the investigation if India wins the Champions trophy.That's the attitude in India -One Big win and people and the media forget all the previous losses and problems in administration of the game.

POSTED BY
on | June 16, 2013, 3:39 GMT

Then who will discipline those who discipline the administrators!!

POSTED BY
McGorium
on | June 17, 2013, 17:45 GMT

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Who will guard the guards?) The problem with cricket is that it's administered by (at least on paper) non-profits. There are no shareholders or board of directors to report back to. No public audits of activities, and no accountability to anyone other than themselves. This is not to suggest that safeguards like shareholders/board of directors are fool-proof: a mere glance through the history of corporate malfeasance would put that notion to rest. However, public listed companies are under the ambit of regulatory bodies (such as SEC in the US), and at least on paper, must have their affairs scrutinized by them, and must release their books regularly to the public. This would at least reduce the secrecy and the "old-boy's club" stuff that goes on in these bodies. Of course, who will bell the cat? And, more broadly, who will regulate the regulators? The latter question is a political debate on small government that is beyond the scope of this discussion :)

POSTED BY
manohard
on | June 16, 2013, 3:41 GMT

I agree with Mr. Chappell here. Any system needs what's called checks and balances and I don't see that any of the cricket boards across the world. Not to take sides but I think we need boards where are headed by cricketers rather than politicians. I agree we need somebody with management capabilities to manage functional side of the board which is hard to find in sports men.

POSTED BY
on | June 16, 2013, 3:39 GMT

Then who will discipline those who discipline the administrators!!

POSTED BY
cricmohit
on | June 16, 2013, 4:34 GMT

I agree with the fact that BCCI will do away with the investigation if India wins the Champions trophy.That's the attitude in India -One Big win and people and the media forget all the previous losses and problems in administration of the game.

POSTED BY
on | June 16, 2013, 5:00 GMT

I agree completely with Ian Chappel, as always. Things are forgotten very fast and the administrators will hide behind the performance of the players. They need to be punished heavily.

POSTED BY
Baundele
on | June 16, 2013, 5:57 GMT

India's success in CT so far has been the result of the pressure on the BCCI because of the fixing scandal. India must win to avoid a public rage.

POSTED BY
Lawro
on | June 16, 2013, 7:19 GMT

Mr Chappell, I agree wholeheartedly.

If the ICC and its international member boards were governments, they would essentially be dictatorial theocracies, bowing down to the gods of money and self-interest.

There's been a marked shift in cricket interests in the last decade heading vastly away from cricket and firmly towards money. We've seen it in rugby and football, but the games were never changed so much as to become unrecognisable (rugby sevens never really took off) - whereas T20 looks poised to disrupt a couple of centuries' worth of cricket.

That comes down to the unelected board officials and cricket bodies. Who holds them accountable? If a dictatorial government does something wrong, who investigates?

The answer: their own internal teams, implying the height of corruption. So how to police global cricket? Independent investigations. In other words, the police.

POSTED BY
Jayzuz
on | June 16, 2013, 9:52 GMT

Um, didn't India just lose a test series at home recently? It's a bit much to be talking about batting riches after one test series and three ODIs. Especially considering they have lost the last 8 tests abroad in succession. They have been pretty lucky that these CT wickets have been lifeless, grassless wonders. Their new players haven't been tested yet, while we already know what to expect with the older ones. I see no reason to believe that the new players will be any better in foreign conditions than the older guys. Most of them are yet to see a bouncy track with grass on it. Ever.

POSTED BY
Kirk-at-Lords
on | June 16, 2013, 11:16 GMT

Ian Chappell has come rather belatedly to the IPL corruption party, and his comments seem curiously detached and distant for one who is usually so intense about honest, effective cricket administration. That said, the points Chappelly makes are basically spot-on. The missing link in the whole process is placing the scanner squarely on the administrators. The third position of the "44 Fans" in India who wrote the letter to BCCI asking for transparency in the corruption investigation made the same point, with equal validity. The really fair and effective thing to do is to pay much closer attention to the administrators. Yet even this may fall short of the mark, if it remains solely a "crime-and-punishment" model. The real solution, as Chappell well knows from having made the case himself repeatedly over the years, is for a full-on reform of cricket governance that gives the Great Game the functional structure it deserves and needs to survive and thrive.

POSTED BY
mar2000
on | June 16, 2013, 12:04 GMT

We the cricket lovers have been saying so for eons now . Every player get fined but the umpires go away scotch free which is utter madness . With the influx of match fixing , the ICC must put new laws in place and fines that fit .

POSTED BY
venkatesh018
on | June 16, 2013, 12:07 GMT

If so, it is better if we fail to win the Champions Trophy !

POSTED BY
alarky
on | June 16, 2013, 13:49 GMT

Ian, aren't you too quick to say that India has "quickly" replenished its depleted stock of good batsmen. There is every good reason why they should be favourites to win this particular Champions Trophy (the best international limited overs tournament being organised by ICC). Their stake at the trophy is mainly based on the fact that every team member was playing the lengthy IPL which has just concluded. In fact, India is the only team in the tournament where every member was just competing against the best limited overs cricketers in the world - no other team has that luxury - hence they are the best placed to win! I'm not ready to concede that their batting has 'quickly' regenerated, because, the trend has always been that India's batting is powerful, but only at home. Hence, while it is true that now in England, they're showing that this team can do it away as well, let's wait and see what happens when they tour South Africa, when their real mettle of batsmanship would be exposed!